About the St Albans - The Commercial Centre Conservation Area
The St Albans - The Commercial Centre Conservation Area covers about 16 hectares and was designated by St Albans City and District Council in 1969. Inside the boundary are 72 listed buildings (1 Grade I, 4 Grade II*, 67 Grade II). The most significant is Clock Tower, Grade I. 2 Article 4 directions over the area remove further householder rights, on top of the conservation area limits below. 8 Tree Preservation Order records overlap the area; every other tree here still needs six weeks’ notice before work.
What changes inside the conservation area
Conservation areas are “Article 2(3) land”. You keep most permitted development rights, but these are removed or tightened.
- Rear extensionElsewhere: 3 m · 6 m with PANo 6 m / 8 m prior approval
- Two-storey extensionElsewhere: 3 mNeeds planning permission
- Side extensionElsewhere: Half the widthNeeds planning permission
- Loft conversionElsewhere: 50 m³Needs planning permission
- Garden roomElsewhere: 2.5 m high by boundariesNot beside the house
- PorchElsewhere: 3 m²Same limits
- Solar panelsElsewhere: 0.2 m projectionSame limits
- Air source heat pumpElsewhere: 1 unitNot facing the road
- Fences, walls and gatesElsewhere: 2 m · 1 m by a roadSame limits
- External claddingElsewhere: Matching materialsNeeds planning permission
- Tree workElsewhere: No notice6 weeks’ notice to the council
- Demolition (over 115 m³)Elsewhere: AllowedNeeds planning permission
Limits for a semi-detached house under the GPDO 2015. An Article 4 direction can remove more.
Article 4 directions here
These overlap the conservation area. Householder directions remove more of the rights above; change-of-use ones don’t affect extending a house.
- St Albans City CoreHouseholder works
- Verulam and Fishpool StreetHouseholder works
Listed buildings in the conservation area
Any work affecting these needs listed building consent, inside or out. Each links to its entry on the National Heritage List.
- Clock TowerGrade I
- 107, St Peter's StreetGrade II*
- Court House (town Hall)Grade II*
- The GrangeGrade II*
- The Tudor TavernGrade II*
- 1 and 3 St Peters StreetGrade II
- 1, George StreetGrade II
- 1, Market PlaceGrade II
- 105, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 11 Market PlaceGrade II
- 11, George StreetGrade II
- 12, George StreetGrade II
- 13 Market PlaceGrade II
- 14 and 15, George StreetGrade II
- 14, Chequer StreetGrade II
- 14, High StreetGrade II
- 15, High StreetGrade II
- 16 and 18, High StreetGrade II
- 17, High StreetGrade II
- 18, Upper Dagnall StreetGrade II
- 19 and 21, Victoria StreetGrade II
- 2 AND 4, UPPER DAGNALL STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 2, George StreetGrade II
- 2, Market PlaceGrade II
Show all 72 listed buildings ↓All 72 listed buildings
- 20a and 21, George StreetGrade II
- 21 and 21a, Market PlaceGrade II
- 22, George StreetGrade II
- 23, George StreetGrade II
- 24, George StreetGrade II
- 25, George StreetGrade II
- 26, 26a and 26b, George StreetGrade II
- 26, Market PlaceGrade II
- 27, Market PlaceGrade II
- 28 and 30, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 3 and 3a, High StreetGrade II
- 3, 4 and 4a, George StreetGrade II
- 3, 5 and 7, French RowGrade II
- 3, Market PlaceGrade II
- 30 and 32, Market PlaceGrade II
- 32, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 33, High StreetGrade II
- 34, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 36, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 38, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 42, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 5, George StreetGrade II
- 58 and 60, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 6, George StreetGrade II
- 6, St Peters StreetGrade II
- 62-70, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 72-76, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 78, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- 9, French RowGrade II
- 95-101 and 101a, St Peter's StreetGrade II
- Donnington HouseGrade II
- K6 Telephone Kiosk Outside the Boot Public HouseGrade II
- Little BarnGrade II
- National Westminster Bank LimitedGrade II
- Premises Occupied by Uptons LtdGrade II
- The Brown Owl RestaurantGrade II
- The Cock Public HouseGrade II
- The Fleur De Lis Public HouseGrade II
- The Hertfordshire AdvertiserGrade II
- The Kings HeadGrade II
- The Old BootGrade II
- The Old King's ArmsGrade II
- The old Moot HouseGrade II
- The White HouseGrade II
- Town Hall ChambersGrade II
- War Memorial at South End of Church GreenGrade II
- Waterend BarnGrade II
- Wellington Public HouseGrade II
Streets in the conservation area
Streets with listed buildings inside the boundary. Boundaries often split a street — check your exact address.
The council’s appraisal
PDFSt Albans - The Commercial Centre Conservation Area AppraisalSt Albans City and District Council’s description of the area’s character — what planners look at when you apply.Open on council site ↗Nearby conservation areas
Boundary and listed buildings from St Albans City and District Council and Historic England via planning.data.gov.uk (OGL). Guidance only — not an official council check.